The Board of Selectmen finalized the warrant for the upcoming Town Meeting on Monday night, but found much to discuss in a proposed article that would not only prohibit members of the Finance Committee from serving on town committees that spend town money but also limit members of the Finance Committee to nine years or three consecutive terms.

Marc Munroe Dion

The Board of Selectmen finalized the warrant for the upcoming Town Meeting on Monday night, but found much to discuss in a proposed article that would not only prohibit members of the Finance Committee from serving on town committees that spend town money but also limit members of the Finance Committee to nine years or three consecutive terms.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Antone Vieira Jr. said he’d done research indicating that most Massachusetts towns prohibit Finance Committee members from serving on boards charged with spending town money.

Selectman Michael Sullivan said he had some doubts about the part of the article dealing with term limits.

“People who’ve been on boards a long time offer a lot of experience,” he said.

The first vote taken on the article by selectmen separated the term limits issue from the component limiting the service of Finance Committee members on other boards to service on the Capital Improvement Committee, the Personnel Board and job search committees.

The vote to separate the two objectives into two warrant articles passed by a 3-2 margin, as did the article proposing limitation to Finance Committee members serving on other boards.

Selectman Steven Ouellette pointed out that term limits at nine years or three years would remove him from the Board of Selectmen and remove the town clerk from office.

“You just put somebody on the Conservation Commission who’s been on for 19 years,” Ouellette said to fellow selectmen. “You were happy to do it.”

Ouellette said voters who want to remove elected officials from office can do so at the ballot box.

“Let the people decide,” he said.

Vieira said people in town have spoken to him about their desire for term limits.

“If you have people who don’t like that, let them sign a petition and put it on the warrant,” Ouellette said.

Sullivan amended the article to exempt elected officials and lengthen the time appointed officials are allowed to serve to 12 years or four terms, whichever is greater.

That version passed 3-2, with Ouellette and Selectman Craig Dutra opposed.